Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday won the toss and opted yo filed against Kolkata at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday.

Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to bring their campaign back on winning ways.

Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them.&nbsp;

Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing.

Talking about their strategy for today, Ashwin said, "We'll bowl first. It's a small ground and difficult to defend, so we'll try to chase it down. It's a day game and it's dried up a bit. Previous games were sticky but this one is expected to stay the same."

"We are sticking to our old combination. We have brought Agarwal in for Nath, Sran for Tiwary and Finch for Stoinis," he added.

When asked about their strategy, skipper Dinesh Karthik said, "One team has to bat first. We'll try to make the most of the opportunity. Just one change for us, Searles comes in for Curran."

"We are sticking to the same team as I am someone who believes to stick to one team and believe in the boys. So we are sticking to the same XI with just one change."

While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points.

Teams:

Punjab (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul(w), Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter

Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday won the toss and opted yo filed against Kolkata at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday. Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to bring their campaign back on winning ways. Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them. Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing. Talking about their strategy for today, Ashwin said, "We'll bowl first. It's a small ground and difficult to defend, so we'll try to chase it down. It's a day game and it's dried up a bit. Previous games were sticky but this one is expected to stay the same." "We are sticking to our old combination. We have brought Agarwal in for Nath, Sran for Tiwary and Finch for Stoinis," he added. When asked about their strategy, skipper Dinesh Karthik said, "One team has to bat first. We'll try to make the most of the opportunity. Just one change for us, Searles comes in for Curran." "We are sticking to the same team as I am someone who believes to stick to one team and believe in the boys. So we are sticking to the same XI with just one change." While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points. Teams: Punjab (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul(w), Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

IPL 2018: R Ashwin wins toss, opts to bowl against Kolkata

Punjab will aim to strengthen their position in the top three of the Indian Premier League (IPL) points table when they take on Kolkata at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday.

Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to return to winning ways.&nbsp

While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points.

Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them.&nbsp

Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing.

Punjab's batting mostly relies on openers Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul as the duo have accumulated 471 and 311 runs respectively.&nbsp

In the match against Rajasthan, when all of the Punjab batters failed to fire, Rahul rose to the occasion smashing an unbeaten 95 off 70 balls.

Veteran Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch and Mayank Agarwal are yet to make their presence felt in the middle-order for the franchise.

The trio's poor form will be a major cause of concern for the team management and it is high time for them to come out with their best.&nbsp

In the bowling department, skipper Ravichandran Ashwin and medium-pacer Mohit Sharma add depth to the line-up.

Also, pacers Barinder Sran and Andrew Tye, and Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman shoulder the bulk of the responsibility.&nbsp

While Australian Tye has 16 wickets from eight games, pacer Ankit Rajpoot and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have eight and 14 wickets each.

On the other hand, Kolkata will need to put behind their humiliating loss to Mumbai and come together as a unit if they want to seal a play-off berth.&nbsp

For the men-in-purple, openers Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine have failed to perform consistently.&nbsp

Skipper Dinesh Karthik has been the only consistent batsman with the willow, amassing 321 runs from 11 matches.

Vice-captain Robin Uthappa will have to come up with an extraordinary show to help his side inch forward along with the misfiring middle order.&nbsp

Overall, Punjab has a slightly better chance in today's game over Kolkata. 
&nbsp

Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to return to winning ways.

Punjab will aim to strengthen their position in the top three of the Indian Premier League (IPL) points table when they take on Kolkata at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday. Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to return to winning ways. While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points. Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them. Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing. Punjab's batting mostly relies on openers Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul as the duo have accumulated 471 and 311 runs respectively. In the match against Rajasthan, when all of the Punjab batters failed to fire, Rahul rose to the occasion smashing an unbeaten 95 off 70 balls. Veteran Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch and Mayank Agarwal are yet to make their presence felt in the middle-order for the franchise. The trio's poor form will be a major cause of concern for the team management and it is high time for them to come out with their best. In the bowling department, skipper Ravichandran Ashwin and medium-pacer Mohit Sharma add depth to the line-up. Also, pacers Barinder Sran and Andrew Tye, and Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman shoulder the bulk of the responsibility. While Australian Tye has 16 wickets from eight games, pacer Ankit Rajpoot and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have eight and 14 wickets each. On the other hand, Kolkata will need to put behind their humiliating loss to Mumbai and come together as a unit if they want to seal a play-off berth. For the men-in-purple, openers Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine have failed to perform consistently. Skipper Dinesh Karthik has been the only consistent batsman with the willow, amassing 321 runs from 11 matches. Vice-captain Robin Uthappa will have to come up with an extraordinary show to help his side inch forward along with the misfiring middle order. Overall, Punjab has a slightly better chance in today's game over Kolkata.

IPL 2018: Match Preview of Punjab vs Kolkata

MS Dhoni-led Chennai set a 177-run target for Rajasthan team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur after choosing to bat first.

The opener Shane Watson scored 39 runs and gave the required start for the team but another opener Ambati Rayudu, who is currently is in a massive form could not perform today and lost his wicket to Rajasthan's pacer Jofra Archer after scoring just 12 runs.

Suresh Raina scored 52 runs and helped the team in pushing the run rate. Playing at 148.57 strike rate, he hit few beautiful shots and his innings included six 4s and one 6s.

MS Dhoni and Sam Billings helped in continuing the momentum and scored 33 and 27 runs respectively for the team to put up a decent target.

Rajasthan struggled in taking wickets and also the pitch was not supporting the pacers.

Jofra Archer took two wickets and Ish Sodhi out bowled Suresh Raina.

Fall of wickets:

19-1 (Ambati Rayudu, 2.1), 105-2 (Shane Watson, 11.3), 119-3 (Suresh Raina, 12.6), 174-4 (Sam Billings, 19.4)

MS Dhoni-led Chennai set a 177-run target for Rajasthan team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

MS Dhoni-led Chennai set a 177-run target for Rajasthan team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur after choosing to bat first. The opener Shane Watson scored 39 runs and gave the required start for the team but another opener Ambati Rayudu, who is currently is in a massive form could not perform today and lost his wicket to Rajasthan's pacer Jofra Archer after scoring just 12 runs. Suresh Raina scored 52 runs and helped the team in pushing the run rate. Playing at 148.57 strike rate, he hit few beautiful shots and his innings included six 4s and one 6s. MS Dhoni and Sam Billings helped in continuing the momentum and scored 33 and 27 runs respectively for the team to put up a decent target. Rajasthan struggled in taking wickets and also the pitch was not supporting the pacers. Jofra Archer took two wickets and Ish Sodhi out bowled Suresh Raina. Fall of wickets: 19-1 (Ambati Rayudu, 2.1), 105-2 (Shane Watson, 11.3), 119-3 (Suresh Raina, 12.6), 174-4 (Sam Billings, 19.4)

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni-led Chennai set 177-run target for Rajasthan

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/unnao-rape-case-cbi-confirms-rape-charge-against-bjp-mla-sengar-police-role-under-scanner--136002">Unnao rape case: CBI sources confirm rape charge against BJP MLA Sengar police role under scanner</a>

CBI sources said later on June 11th three youths abducted the girl and gangraped her in an SUV.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-atal-bihari-vajpayees-government-went-about-pokhran-ii----136003">How Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government went about Pokhran II</a>

Twenty years ago, on May 11, 1998, the then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared a nuclear power with the tests at Pokhran.&nbsp

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingyas-should-be-relocated-un-to-bangladesh-135998">Rohingyas should be relocated: UN to Bangladesh</a>

"The monsoon is the biggest concern," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-cannes-2018-deepika-padukone-is-a-sight-to-behold-in-an-angelic-white-gown-136001">Cannes 2018: Deepika Padukone is a sight to behold in an angelic white gown</a>

After choosing sinful red for her Met Gala outing, Deepika Padukone chose an angelic white gown for her first day on the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival.&nbsp

&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-dhawan-williamson-take-hyderabad-to-play-offs-beat-delhi-by-9-wickets--135984">IPL 2018: Dhawan, Williamson take Hyderabad to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-dhawan-williamson-take-hyderabad-to-play-offs-beat-delhi-by-9-wickets--135984">play-offs</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-dhawan-williamson-take-hyderabad-to-play-offs-beat-delhi-by-9-wickets--135984">, beat Delhi by 9 wickets</a>

Delhi's 187 for five was a challenging target but Dhawan's 92 not out off 50 balls and captain's 83 not out off 53 ensured Hyderabad home in 18.5 overs.&nbsp

After choosing sinful red for her Met Gala outing, Deepika Padukone chose an angelic white gown for her first day on the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival.

Unnao rape case: CBI sources confirm rape charge against BJP MLA Sengar police role under scanner CBI sources said later on June 11th three youths abducted the girl and gangraped her in an SUV. How Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government went about Pokhran II Twenty years ago, on May 11, 1998, the then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared a nuclear power with the tests at Pokhran. Rohingyas should be relocated: UN to Bangladesh "The monsoon is the biggest concern," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York. Cannes 2018: Deepika Padukone is a sight to behold in an angelic white gown After choosing sinful red for her Met Gala outing, Deepika Padukone chose an angelic white gown for her first day on the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival. IPL 2018: Dhawan, Williamson take Hyderabad to play-offs, beat Delhi by 9 wickets Delhi's 187 for five was a challenging target but Dhawan's 92 not out off 50 balls and captain's 83 not out off 53 ensured Hyderabad home in 18.5 overs.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan team will face Chennai at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Friday.

Apart from booking a play-off berth, Rajasthan team will enter the fields with&nbsp;another important&nbsp;objective tonight. The entire Rajasthan team will wear the pink jersey to promote cancer awareness.

Team Rajasthan has gained some confidence as they won their previous encounter against Punjab but still, there are some concerns with the batting department.

On the other hand, MS Dhoni-led Chennai are riding high on confidence and they are just one win away from solidifying their place in the play-off of the IPL 2018.

When the playing&nbsp;XI is concerned, Ajinkya Rahane will look&nbsp;to make some changes in the playing XI. Stuart Binny has not performed much and he might get replaced with Rahul Tripathi on the other hand, Dhawal Kulkarni suits better than Anureet Singh for today's game.

On the other hand, for Chennai, any change is not required until and unless an injury occurs.

Playing XI (TBC):

Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Mahipal Lomror, Stuart Binny/Rahul Tripathi, K Gowtham, Ish Sodhi, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Anureet Singh/Dhawal Kulkarni

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Dhruv Shorey, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, David Willey, Harbhahan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, Shardul Thakur

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&nbsp;

The entire Rajasthan team will wear pink jersey to promote cancer awareness in the clash against Chennai

Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan team will face Chennai at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Friday. Apart from booking a play-off berth, Rajasthan team will enter the fields with another important objective tonight. The entire Rajasthan team will wear the pink jersey to promote cancer awareness. Team Rajasthan has gained some confidence as they won their previous encounter against Punjab but still, there are some concerns with the batting department. On the other hand, MS Dhoni-led Chennai are riding high on confidence and they are just one win away from solidifying their place in the play-off of the IPL 2018. When the playing XI is concerned, Ajinkya Rahane will look to make some changes in the playing XI. Stuart Binny has not performed much and he might get replaced with Rahul Tripathi on the other hand, Dhawal Kulkarni suits better than Anureet Singh for today's game. On the other hand, for Chennai, any change is not required until and unless an injury occurs. Playing XI (TBC): Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Mahipal Lomror, Stuart Binny/Rahul Tripathi, K Gowtham, Ish Sodhi, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Anureet Singh/Dhawal Kulkarni Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Dhruv Shorey, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, David Willey, Harbhahan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, Shardul Thakur ×

IPL 2018: Match preview of Rajasthan vs Chennai

MS Dhoni won the toss and has opted to bat first against Rajasthan at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Friday.

Although, the pitch report suggests it will be suitable for the spinners as there is not any grass on the pitch but plenty of cracks.

Chennai team has made a couple of changes, Karn Sharma and Sam Billings are back in the playing XI at the place of Dhruv Shorey and Lungi Ngidi.

On the other hand, team Rajasthan is wearing the pink jersey to support cancer patients.

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Special jersey for our battle with <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> against Cancer! ⚡️ 
 
What's our new jersey all about? 
PINK - Breast Cancer 
BURGUNDY - Oral Cancer 
TEAL - Cervical Cancer 
 
Let's show our support and get <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CancerOut?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CancerOut</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JazbaJeetKa?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JazbaJeetKa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HallaBol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HallaBol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> <a href="https://t.co/TbPM0benlo">pic.twitter.com/TbPM0benlo</a>
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/994125671948419078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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For Rajasthan, Ankit Sharma makes his debut by replacing Prashant Chopra.

Playing XI:

Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Jos Buttler(w), Prashant Chopra, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Ankit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, David Willey, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur

For Rajasthan, Ankit Sharma makes his debut by replacing Prashant Chopra

MS Dhoni won the toss and has opted to bat first against Rajasthan at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Friday. Although, the pitch report suggests it will be suitable for the spinners as there is not any grass on the pitch but plenty of cracks. Chennai team has made a couple of changes, Karn Sharma and Sam Billings are back in the playing XI at the place of Dhruv Shorey and Lungi Ngidi. On the other hand, team Rajasthan is wearing the pink jersey to support cancer patients. Special jersey for our battle with @ChennaiIPL against Cancer! ⚡️ What's our new jersey all about? PINK - Breast Cancer BURGUNDY - Oral Cancer TEAL - Cervical Cancer Let's show our support and get #CancerOut!#JazbaJeetKa #HallaBol #VIVOIPL #Yellove pic.twitter.com/TbPM0benlo — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 9, 2018 × For Rajasthan, Ankit Sharma makes his debut by replacing Prashant Chopra. Playing XI: Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Jos Buttler(w), Prashant Chopra, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Ankit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, David Willey, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni opts to bat against Rajasthan

I would rate 42nd match of this year Indian Premier League, played between Hyderabad and Delhi at Firozshah Kotla Delhi on 10th May 2018 as one of the most special encounters this season.

The match was packed with two surprises. First, young Rishabh Pant played a knock which can be a career-defining knock for him. His 128 out of a team total of 191 and that too coming at number four, speaks about the calibre of this young led who once considered as the heir apparent of MS Dhoni.

But the second surprise was the slickness with which Hyderabad chased down this total. It was even better than Hyderabad’s own high standard, which they had set so far in this tournament. Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson were easy going right from the beginning of their mammoth partnership and finish things in style.

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<h5>Kane Williamson has transformed the team Hyderabad with his passionate leadership is the biggest highlight of IPL 2018</h5>
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How Kane Williamson has transformed the team Hyderabad with his passionate leadership is the biggest highlight of IPL 2018. Hyderabad have been the top performing team so far in the tournament in spite of no larger than life superstar in the line-up.

It is worthwhile to mention here that Hyderabad received a huge setback before the commencement of the tournament as their skipper and swashbuckling batsman David Warner was dropped out due to ball tempering controversy. Kane Williamson, however, picked the responsibility entrusted to him in the last minutes with all the sincerity and turned around things.

Whenever Hyderabad come on the field, I go back to the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008. In 2008, Shane Warne led the bunch of young (Rajasthan) and relatively inexperienced side in a magical way and turned them in the champion. In 2008, Rajasthan were the team with least fanfare with no superstar in the lineup.

It was one among the cheapest teams in the inaugural auction. While Rajasthan under Shane Warne finished to the victory, the high profile teams like Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata bit the dust. All these teams were high profile and they were studded with big names.

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<h5>Kane Williamson and his 'Orange Army' is on the same template as that of Shane Warne and Rajasthan in 2008</h5>
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Kane Williamson and his 'Orange Army' is on the same template as that of Shane Warne and Rajasthan in 2008.

Williamson himself is in outstanding batting form. He is proving that why is regarded as the one the most prolific batsmen of his generation. He is getting good support from Shikhar Dhawan and Yusuf Pathan down the order in among the runs as well.

Williamson is marshalling his troop to the perfection and so far he has been able to extract best out of his teammates. Notwithstanding hammering by Rishabh Pant, Bhuvi is leading the bowling with the support of likes if Siddharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma.

But the X-factor in this team is because of the presence of young Afghanistani spinner, Rashid Khan. He has troubled best of batsmen in the tournament so far. His well-disguised googly has been destructive.

The team is fighting as a group and the way Hyderabad have defended few low scoring matches very well manifests the spirit of the team

I once heard great Australian Cricket coach John Buchanan. Buchanan said that “In the Cricket, plans and strategy are important but the more important thing is that whether you have put your basics right or not. You may plan big but lack of basics would fail you”.

Williamson and his boys seem to be working on these lines only. Other star-studded teams (read Bangalore & Delhi) of IPL-2018 can take a cue out of it.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

42nd match of this year Indian Premier League, played between Hyderabad and Delhi at Firozshah Kotla Delhi on 10th May 2018 as one of the most special encounters this season

I would rate 42nd match of this year Indian Premier League, played between Hyderabad and Delhi at Firozshah Kotla Delhi on 10th May 2018 as one of the most special encounters this season. The match was packed with two surprises. First, young Rishabh Pant played a knock which can be a career-defining knock for him. His 128 out of a team total of 191 and that too coming at number four, speaks about the calibre of this young led who once considered as the heir apparent of MS Dhoni. But the second surprise was the slickness with which Hyderabad chased down this total. It was even better than Hyderabad’s own high standard, which they had set so far in this tournament. Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson were easy going right from the beginning of their mammoth partnership and finish things in style. Kane Williamson has transformed the team Hyderabad with his passionate leadership is the biggest highlight of IPL 2018 × How Kane Williamson has transformed the team Hyderabad with his passionate leadership is the biggest highlight of IPL 2018. Hyderabad have been the top performing team so far in the tournament in spite of no larger than life superstar in the line-up. It is worthwhile to mention here that Hyderabad received a huge setback before the commencement of the tournament as their skipper and swashbuckling batsman David Warner was dropped out due to ball tempering controversy. Kane Williamson, however, picked the responsibility entrusted to him in the last minutes with all the sincerity and turned around things. Whenever Hyderabad come on the field, I go back to the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008. In 2008, Shane Warne led the bunch of young (Rajasthan) and relatively inexperienced side in a magical way and turned them in the champion. In 2008, Rajasthan were the team with least fanfare with no superstar in the lineup. It was one among the cheapest teams in the inaugural auction. While Rajasthan under Shane Warne finished to the victory, the high profile teams like Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata bit the dust. All these teams were high profile and they were studded with big names. Kane Williamson and his 'Orange Army' is on the same template as that of Shane Warne and Rajasthan in 2008 × Kane Williamson and his 'Orange Army' is on the same template as that of Shane Warne and Rajasthan in 2008. Williamson himself is in outstanding batting form. He is proving that why is regarded as the one the most prolific batsmen of his generation. He is getting good support from Shikhar Dhawan and Yusuf Pathan down the order in among the runs as well. Williamson is marshalling his troop to the perfection and so far he has been able to extract best out of his teammates. Notwithstanding hammering by Rishabh Pant, Bhuvi is leading the bowling with the support of likes if Siddharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma. But the X-factor in this team is because of the presence of young Afghanistani spinner, Rashid Khan. He has troubled best of batsmen in the tournament so far. His well-disguised googly has been destructive. The team is fighting as a group and the way Hyderabad have defended few low scoring matches very well manifests the spirit of the team I once heard great Australian Cricket coach John Buchanan. Buchanan said that “In the Cricket, plans and strategy are important but the more important thing is that whether you have put your basics right or not. You may plan big but lack of basics would fail you”. Williamson and his boys seem to be working on these lines only. Other star-studded teams (read Bangalore & Delhi) of IPL-2018 can take a cue out of it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: IPL 2018 - How Hyderabad under Kane Williamson is blossoming

Opener Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Kane Williamson shared an unbeaten 176-run stand to overshadow a breathtaking hundred from Rishbah Pant.&nbsp;

Hyderabad sailed into the Indian Premier League play-offs with a commanding nine-wicket victory over Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Thursday. 
&nbsp; 
Delhi's 187 for five was a challenging target but Dhawan's 92 not out off 50 balls and captain's 83 not out off 53 ensured Hyderabad home in 18.5 overs.&nbsp;

With just six points from 11 games, Delhi are now certain to make another early exit from the tournament.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad led the table with 18 points from 11 games.

Earlier, Pant slammed his maiden IPL hundred, an epic 128 not out off just 63 balls which was not enough to for Delhi to defeat &nbsp;Hyderabad.

Pant helped Delhi overcome a poor start to reach an imposing total.&nbsp;

Pant was unstoppable in his unbeaten knock as he depleted with arguably the best bowling attack in the competition, single-handedly giving a fighting chance to a struggling Delhi.&nbsp;

His century came at the perfect time when the top three batsmen failed to contribute much. His long innings included 15 boundaries and seven long sixes.

For Hyderabad, Shakib Al Hasan was the only bowler who managed to take two wickets.&nbsp;

Bhuvneshwar Kumar had to settle for one while three players got run-out.

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday.

Struggling at the bottom of the points table, the hosts made three changes to their playing XI by including Shahbaz Nadeem, Jason Roy and Harshal Patel in place of Avesh Khan, Daniel Christian and Naman Ojha.

On the other hand, the tourists replaced injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Shreevats Goswami.

Teams:

Hyderabad:&nbsp;Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson (Captain), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami (WK), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma.

Daredevils:&nbsp;Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Rishabh Pant (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult.

&nbsp;

Pant remained unbeaten and scored 128 runs in just 63 balls

Opener Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Kane Williamson shared an unbeaten 176-run stand to overshadow a breathtaking hundred from Rishbah Pant. Hyderabad sailed into the Indian Premier League play-offs with a commanding nine-wicket victory over Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Thursday. Delhi's 187 for five was a challenging target but Dhawan's 92 not out off 50 balls and captain's 83 not out off 53 ensured Hyderabad home in 18.5 overs. With just six points from 11 games, Delhi are now certain to make another early exit from the tournament. Meanwhile, Hyderabad led the table with 18 points from 11 games. Earlier, Pant slammed his maiden IPL hundred, an epic 128 not out off just 63 balls which was not enough to for Delhi to defeat Hyderabad. Pant helped Delhi overcome a poor start to reach an imposing total. Pant was unstoppable in his unbeaten knock as he depleted with arguably the best bowling attack in the competition, single-handedly giving a fighting chance to a struggling Delhi. His century came at the perfect time when the top three batsmen failed to contribute much. His long innings included 15 boundaries and seven long sixes. For Hyderabad, Shakib Al Hasan was the only bowler who managed to take two wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar had to settle for one while three players got run-out. Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday. Struggling at the bottom of the points table, the hosts made three changes to their playing XI by including Shahbaz Nadeem, Jason Roy and Harshal Patel in place of Avesh Khan, Daniel Christian and Naman Ojha. On the other hand, the tourists replaced injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Shreevats Goswami. Teams: Hyderabad: Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson (Captain), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami (WK), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma. Daredevils: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Rishabh Pant (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult.

IPL 2018: Dhawan, Williamson take Hyderabad to play-offs, beat Delhi by 9 wickets

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday.

Struggling at the bottom of the points table, the hosts made three changes to their playing XI by including Shahbaz Nadeem, Jason Roy and Harshal Patel in place of Avesh Khan, Daniel Christian and Naman Ojha.

On the other hand, the tourists replaced injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Shreevats Goswami.

Teams:

Hyderabad: Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson (Captain), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami (WK), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma.

Daredevils: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Rishabh Pant (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult.

The tourists replaced injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Shreevats Goswami.

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday. Struggling at the bottom of the points table, the hosts made three changes to their playing XI by including Shahbaz Nadeem, Jason Roy and Harshal Patel in place of Avesh Khan, Daniel Christian and Naman Ojha. On the other hand, the tourists replaced injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Shreevats Goswami. Teams: Hyderabad: Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson (Captain), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami (WK), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma. Daredevils: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Rishabh Pant (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult.

IPL 2018: Delhi opt to bat against Hyderabad

Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten on Thursday said that under skipper Virat Kohli, India have a great chance in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

Kirsten said that though winning a World Cup requires a lot of hard work, he believes the Kohli-led side have a bright chance to clinch the coveted trophy."

You need a lot of luck along the way. There are a lot of good teams out there," he said."But, you know, India have a great team and you know they have got every chance under Virat Kohli to compete and do really well," he concluded&nbsp

The World Cup is slated to be held from May 30 to July 14 next year.&nbsp

The former South African cricketer is set to launch his first-ever cricket academy in India and he has chosen Pune as the location.

Kirsten is currently mentoring the struggling Bangalore in the ongoing 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The team currently stands at number seven with just three wins out of 10 games played.

Kirsten said that winning a World Cup requires a lot of hard work

Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten on Thursday said that under skipper Virat Kohli, India have a great chance in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Kirsten said that though winning a World Cup requires a lot of hard work, he believes the Kohli-led side have a bright chance to clinch the coveted trophy." You need a lot of luck along the way. There are a lot of good teams out there," he said."But, you know, India have a great team and you know they have got every chance under Virat Kohli to compete and do really well," he concluded The World Cup is slated to be held from May 30 to July 14 next year. The former South African cricketer is set to launch his first-ever cricket academy in India and he has chosen Pune as the location. Kirsten is currently mentoring the struggling Bangalore in the ongoing 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team currently stands at number seven with just three wins out of 10 games played.

Virat Kohli-led team have every chance in World Cup 2019: Gary Kirsten

Delhi will return to its home ground Feroz Shah Kotla and will host table-toppers Hyderabad today. Their last encounter was won by the Kane-Williamson side by seven wickets.

Kotla has proved to be lucky for the home team of late - Shreyas Iyer has won both times he’s led the team out at this venue following Gautam Gambhir’s sudden resignation from the captaincy.

As Delhi stands last in the league table, its important for the franchise to beat Hyderabad to keep their chances of qualifying for the play-off alive.

For Delhi, Prithvi Shaw and skipper Shyeras Iyer are in red-hot form. The two smashed 65 and 45 runs respectively in their last match against Hyderabad.

In-form Rishab pant failed to contribute in his last match but is expected to play a superb knock today

It is the bowling department which has to play a different game today to restrict the opponents.&nbsp;

Hyderabad, on the other hand, are enjoying their game by sitting on top of the IPL table.&nbsp;

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Skipper Kane Williamson had hit a half-century in his last match against Bangalore. The batsman is capable of single-handedly taking the match away from Delhi.&nbsp;

The bowling department has always been their strong base and are expected to perform above par today also.&nbsp;

So overall, Delhi will fight to keep their playoff chances alive while Hyderabad will enter the ground to consolidate their position.&nbsp;

Delhi will return to its home ground Feroz Shah Kotla and will host table-toppers Hyderabad today. Their last encounter was won by the Kane-Williamson side by seven wickets. Kotla has proved to be lucky for the home team of late - Shreyas Iyer has won both times he’s led the team out at this venue following Gautam Gambhir’s sudden resignation from the captaincy. As Delhi stands last in the league table, its important for the franchise to beat Hyderabad to keep their chances of qualifying for the play-off alive. For Delhi, Prithvi Shaw and skipper Shyeras Iyer are in red-hot form. The two smashed 65 and 45 runs respectively in their last match against Hyderabad. In-form Rishab pant failed to contribute in his last match but is expected to play a superb knock today It is the bowling department which has to play a different game today to restrict the opponents. Hyderabad, on the other hand, are enjoying their game by sitting on top of the IPL table. × Skipper Kane Williamson had hit a half-century in his last match against Bangalore. The batsman is capable of single-handedly taking the match away from Delhi. The bowling department has always been their strong base and are expected to perform above par today also. So overall, Delhi will fight to keep their playoff chances alive while Hyderabad will enter the ground to consolidate their position.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Delhi vs Hyderabad

Delhi and Hyderabad are all set to lock horns for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL).&nbsp

While Hyderabad stand at top of the IPL table, Delhi is bottom placed after facing seven defeats out of 10 games played so far.&nbsp&nbsp

As Delhi returns to its home ground Feroz Shah Kotla, it becomes important for the franchise to beat Hyderabad to keep their chances of qualifying for the play-off alive.&nbsp

So, let us take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash.&nbsp

1. Kane Williamson - The backbone of Hyderabad is one of the most successful skippers in the ongoing league so far. With his team being the table-toppers, he definitely fulfilled his duties as a captain. When required he has stood up for his team as a batsman too. In 10 matches he has scored 410 runs which include five half-centuries. Even in his previous game against Bangalore, Hyderabad skipper slammed 39-ball-56 and ensured victory for his side.&nbsp

2. Prithvi Shaw - The Delhi opener smashed 65 runs off just 36 balls which included six boundaries and three sixes. The young sensation has so far scored 205 runs in five matches played with 65 being his highest score. He is capable of hitting big strokes and can be a dependent player when needed.&nbsp

3. Shakib Al Hasan - The Hyderabad all-rounder played a decent inning in his previous game. He scored 35 runs off 32 balls. Also, the only bowler to take two crucial wickets, one of Parthiv Patel and another of Virat Kohli, in their previous game against Bangalore. He is expected to perform the same today when Delhi faces Hyderabad.

4. Shreyas Iyer - The Delhi skipper tried his best to revive Delhi in this tournament after taking the captaincy, but failed to qualify for the top four. Being a very efficient batsman, Iyer scored 351 runs in 10 matches so far and is placed at the 8th position for the 'Orange Cap'. In his previous match against Hyderabad, he scored 36-ball-44 which included three boundaries and two sixes. The skipper is all set for tonight to remove Delhi from the last position.&nbsp

5. Rishabh Pant - An adequate batsman from Delhi knows how to play his innings and help his team set a required target or win the game. Altogether, he scored 393 runs in 10 games so far. His experience and ability to deplete any bowling attack makes him a player to watch out for in today's game.&nbsp

Delhi returns to its home ground Feroz Shah Kotla

Delhi and Hyderabad are all set to lock horns for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). While Hyderabad stand at top of the IPL table, Delhi is bottom placed after facing seven defeats out of 10 games played so far. As Delhi returns to its home ground Feroz Shah Kotla, it becomes important for the franchise to beat Hyderabad to keep their chances of qualifying for the play-off alive. So, let us take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash. 1. Kane Williamson - The backbone of Hyderabad is one of the most successful skippers in the ongoing league so far. With his team being the table-toppers, he definitely fulfilled his duties as a captain. When required he has stood up for his team as a batsman too. In 10 matches he has scored 410 runs which include five half-centuries. Even in his previous game against Bangalore, Hyderabad skipper slammed 39-ball-56 and ensured victory for his side. 2. Prithvi Shaw - The Delhi opener smashed 65 runs off just 36 balls which included six boundaries and three sixes. The young sensation has so far scored 205 runs in five matches played with 65 being his highest score. He is capable of hitting big strokes and can be a dependent player when needed. 3. Shakib Al Hasan - The Hyderabad all-rounder played a decent inning in his previous game. He scored 35 runs off 32 balls. Also, the only bowler to take two crucial wickets, one of Parthiv Patel and another of Virat Kohli, in their previous game against Bangalore. He is expected to perform the same today when Delhi faces Hyderabad. 4. Shreyas Iyer - The Delhi skipper tried his best to revive Delhi in this tournament after taking the captaincy, but failed to qualify for the top four. Being a very efficient batsman, Iyer scored 351 runs in 10 matches so far and is placed at the 8th position for the 'Orange Cap'. In his previous match against Hyderabad, he scored 36-ball-44 which included three boundaries and two sixes. The skipper is all set for tonight to remove Delhi from the last position. 5. Rishabh Pant - An adequate batsman from Delhi knows how to play his innings and help his team set a required target or win the game. Altogether, he scored 393 runs in 10 games so far. His experience and ability to deplete any bowling attack makes him a player to watch out for in today's game.

IPL 2018: Players to watch out for in Delhi vs Hyderabad clash

Put into bat, Mumbai scored 210 for the loss of six wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Kolkata on Thursday.&nbsp;

Ishan Kishan played an unbelievable knock fo 21-ball 62 runs to help his team set a mammoth target in order to keep their play-off hopes alive.&nbsp;

His innings included five boundaries and six sixes.

Openers Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis gave their team a decent start with the two establishing a partnership of 46 runs before Lewis gave away his wicket to Piyush Chawla.

Chawal struck again from his team to dismiss Yadav at 36 runs.&nbsp;

Skipper Rohit Sharma also contributed 36 runs off 31 balls before giving away his wicket to Prasidh Krishna.

For Kolkata, Piyush Chawl took three crucial wickets in his four overs bowled.&nbsp;

Earlier, Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik on Wednesday won the toss and opted to field against Mumbai.

In their previous encounter, Mumbai won the last game by 13 runs.

Mumbai were on the verge of falling by the wayside after a series of defeat before they managed to pull through in the previous two games.

"We would have bowled first as well. But we are batting now, the last time we played against these guys in Mumbai we posted a decent total. Nothing changes for us and we'll try to do the same against them tonight," Rohit said.

"I think we are playing with the same squad as it's important to back the guys. We have been playing some good cricket of late and hope to come up with a good performance again," he added.

Against Punjab, it was a Rohit and Krunal Pandya blitz that kept them alive in the play-off competition. A challenging 181/4 coupled with well-directed short balls during Kolkata's chase helped Mumbai stay afloat.&nbsp;

Kolkata, on the other hand, were not at full strength against Mumbai in their away game, with young pacer Shivam Mavi's injured finger joining the team's long list of injuries this season.&nbsp;

Talking about their strategy for today, Karthik said, "We are gonna bowl first. It's a good wicket to bat on. Will remain the same. We thought we'll make use of it second time."

"That was a team of the past (about the record against MI). We are starting fresh and we have new set of boys. We are two good teams and we expect a good match. We have two changes, Shubman Gill is injured and Rinku Singh comes in. Tom Curran is in for Mitchell Johnson," he added.

Teams:

Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Tom Curran, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Ishan Kishan(w), Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah 
&nbsp;

Ishan Kishan played an unbelievable knock fo 21-ball 62 runs

Put into bat, Mumbai scored 210 for the loss of six wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Kolkata on Thursday. Ishan Kishan played an unbelievable knock fo 21-ball 62 runs to help his team set a mammoth target in order to keep their play-off hopes alive. His innings included five boundaries and six sixes. Openers Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis gave their team a decent start with the two establishing a partnership of 46 runs before Lewis gave away his wicket to Piyush Chawla. Chawal struck again from his team to dismiss Yadav at 36 runs. Skipper Rohit Sharma also contributed 36 runs off 31 balls before giving away his wicket to Prasidh Krishna. For Kolkata, Piyush Chawl took three crucial wickets in his four overs bowled. Earlier, Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik on Wednesday won the toss and opted to field against Mumbai. In their previous encounter, Mumbai won the last game by 13 runs. Mumbai were on the verge of falling by the wayside after a series of defeat before they managed to pull through in the previous two games. "We would have bowled first as well. But we are batting now, the last time we played against these guys in Mumbai we posted a decent total. Nothing changes for us and we'll try to do the same against them tonight," Rohit said. "I think we are playing with the same squad as it's important to back the guys. We have been playing some good cricket of late and hope to come up with a good performance again," he added. Against Punjab, it was a Rohit and Krunal Pandya blitz that kept them alive in the play-off competition. A challenging 181/4 coupled with well-directed short balls during Kolkata's chase helped Mumbai stay afloat. Kolkata, on the other hand, were not at full strength against Mumbai in their away game, with young pacer Shivam Mavi's injured finger joining the team's long list of injuries this season. Talking about their strategy for today, Karthik said, "We are gonna bowl first. It's a good wicket to bat on. Will remain the same. We thought we'll make use of it second time." "That was a team of the past (about the record against MI). We are starting fresh and we have new set of boys. We are two good teams and we expect a good match. We have two changes, Shubman Gill is injured and Rinku Singh comes in. Tom Curran is in for Mitchell Johnson," he added. Teams: Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Tom Curran, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Ishan Kishan(w), Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

IPL 2018: Mumbai score 210 runs against Kolkata

Kolkata collapsed for just 108 runs while chasing a mammoth target of 211 set by Mumbai on Thursday.&nbsp;

A couple of run-outs and a few poor shots&nbsp;got Kolkata into deep trouble.

Chris Lynn and Nitish Rana became the top scorers by contributing 21 runs each.

The rest of the team gave away their wickets after playing a few poor shots.&nbsp;

For Mumbai, Pandya brothers clinched four wickets together with each bowler taking two wickets.&nbsp;

Ishan Kishan played an unbelievable knock fo 21 ball 62 runs to help his team set a mammoth target in order to keep their play-off hopes alive.&nbsp;

His innings included five boundaries and six sixes.

Openers Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis gave their team a decent start with the two establishing a partnership of 46 runs before Lewis gave away his wicket to Piyush Chawla.

Chawal struck again from his team to dismiss Yadav at 36 runs.&nbsp;

Skipper Rohit Sharma also contributed 36 runs off 31 balls before giving away his wicket to Prasidh Krishna.

For Kolkata, Piyush Chawl took three crucial wickets in his four overs bowled.&nbsp;

Earlier, Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik on Wednesday won the toss and opted to field against Mumbai.

In their previous encounter, Mumbai won the last game by 13 runs.

Mumbai were on the verge of falling by the wayside after a series of defeat before they managed to pull through in the previous two games.

"We would have bowled first as well. But we are batting now, the last time we played against these guys in Mumbai we posted a decent total. Nothing changes for us and we'll try to do the same against them tonight," Rohit said.

"I think we are playing with the same squad as it's important to back the guys. We have been playing some good cricket of late and hope to come up with a good performance again," he added.

Against Punjab, it was a Rohit and Krunal Pandya blitz that kept them alive in the play-off competition. A challenging 181/4 coupled with well-directed short balls during Kolkata's chase helped Mumbai stay afloat.&nbsp;

Kolkata, on the other hand, were not at full strength against Mumbai in their away game, with young pacer Shivam Mavi's injured finger joining the team's long list of injuries this season.&nbsp;

Talking about their strategy for today, Karthik said, "We are gonna bowl first. It's a good wicket to bat on. Will remain the same. We thought we'll make use of it second time."

"That was a team of the past (about the record against MI). We are starting fresh and we have new set of boys. We are two good teams and we expect a good match. We have two changes, Shubman Gill is injured and Rinku Singh comes in. Tom Curran is in for Mitchell Johnson," he added.

Teams:

Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Tom Curran, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Ishan Kishan(w), Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah 
&nbsp;

A couple of run-outs and a few poor shots got Kolkata into deep trouble

Kolkata collapsed for just 108 runs while chasing a mammoth target of 211 set by Mumbai on Thursday. A couple of run-outs and a few poor shots got Kolkata into deep trouble. Chris Lynn and Nitish Rana became the top scorers by contributing 21 runs each. The rest of the team gave away their wickets after playing a few poor shots. For Mumbai, Pandya brothers clinched four wickets together with each bowler taking two wickets. Ishan Kishan played an unbelievable knock fo 21 ball 62 runs to help his team set a mammoth target in order to keep their play-off hopes alive. His innings included five boundaries and six sixes. Openers Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis gave their team a decent start with the two establishing a partnership of 46 runs before Lewis gave away his wicket to Piyush Chawla. Chawal struck again from his team to dismiss Yadav at 36 runs. Skipper Rohit Sharma also contributed 36 runs off 31 balls before giving away his wicket to Prasidh Krishna. For Kolkata, Piyush Chawl took three crucial wickets in his four overs bowled. Earlier, Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik on Wednesday won the toss and opted to field against Mumbai. In their previous encounter, Mumbai won the last game by 13 runs. Mumbai were on the verge of falling by the wayside after a series of defeat before they managed to pull through in the previous two games. "We would have bowled first as well. But we are batting now, the last time we played against these guys in Mumbai we posted a decent total. Nothing changes for us and we'll try to do the same against them tonight," Rohit said. "I think we are playing with the same squad as it's important to back the guys. We have been playing some good cricket of late and hope to come up with a good performance again," he added. Against Punjab, it was a Rohit and Krunal Pandya blitz that kept them alive in the play-off competition. A challenging 181/4 coupled with well-directed short balls during Kolkata's chase helped Mumbai stay afloat. Kolkata, on the other hand, were not at full strength against Mumbai in their away game, with young pacer Shivam Mavi's injured finger joining the team's long list of injuries this season. Talking about their strategy for today, Karthik said, "We are gonna bowl first. It's a good wicket to bat on. Will remain the same. We thought we'll make use of it second time." "That was a team of the past (about the record against MI). We are starting fresh and we have new set of boys. We are two good teams and we expect a good match. We have two changes, Shubman Gill is injured and Rinku Singh comes in. Tom Curran is in for Mitchell Johnson," he added. Teams: Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Tom Curran, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Ishan Kishan(w), Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

IPL 2018: Mumbai bowl out Kolkata for 108, win by 102 runs

Bollywood superstar and Kolkata co-owner Shah Rukh Khan apologised to fans after his team suffered a humiliating 102-run defeat at the hands of Mumbai at Eden Gardens, on Wednesday.&nbsp;

SRK with actress Juhi Chawla had come to Eden Gardens to watch Kolkata's game, yesterday.

Just after their team lost, SRK took to Twitter and wrote an apologetic message to all Kolkata fans.&nbsp;

"Sports is about the spirit and wins/losses don't reflect that. But tonight as the 'Boss' I need to apologise to the fans for the lack of spirit," he wrote.

The win took Rohit Sharma's team to level on points with Kolkata (10 points from 11 games) and fourth in the points table, courtesy to a better net run rate.

Kolkata lost to the same opponents twice in the space of three days, and were dropped to the fifth spot in the league table.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan scored a whirlwind 21-ball 62 to help Mumbai set a mammoth target of 211 runs.

The Dinesh Karthik-led side will next face Punjab on Saturday.&nbsp;

SRK with actress Juhi Chawla had come to Eden Gardens to watch Kolkata's game

Bollywood superstar and Kolkata co-owner Shah Rukh Khan apologised to fans after his team suffered a humiliating 102-run defeat at the hands of Mumbai at Eden Gardens, on Wednesday. SRK with actress Juhi Chawla had come to Eden Gardens to watch Kolkata's game, yesterday. Just after their team lost, SRK took to Twitter and wrote an apologetic message to all Kolkata fans. "Sports is about the spirit and wins/losses don't reflect that. But tonight as the 'Boss' I need to apologise to the fans for the lack of spirit," he wrote. The win took Rohit Sharma's team to level on points with Kolkata (10 points from 11 games) and fourth in the points table, courtesy to a better net run rate. Kolkata lost to the same opponents twice in the space of three days, and were dropped to the fifth spot in the league table. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan scored a whirlwind 21-ball 62 to help Mumbai set a mammoth target of 211 runs. The Dinesh Karthik-led side will next face Punjab on Saturday.

IPL 2018: SRK apologises for Kolkata's 'lack of spirit' against Mumbai

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, known for his low profile and reserved nature, does not like to reveal much about himself in public.&nbsp;

However, the Chennai skipper revealed one of his most personal secrets in public.

During a promotional event, he revealed the name of his first ever crush.&nbsp;

Dhoni, who is enjoying his game in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), was first asked to reveal the number of alphabets in his crush's name.&nbsp;

Later the performer, who was doing mind and mental tricks and started to guess the name of Dhoni's first crush.&nbsp;

He asked Dhoni some questions about the name and then guessed the name- Swati.

The wicketkeeper-batsman after some reluctance admitted that the name was right.&nbsp;

The former Indian skipper also jokingly asked everybody not to reveal the same to his wife Sakshi Dhoni.

He also revealed that he last saw Swati back when he was studying in the 12th standard in 1999.

The event was also attended by other Chennai players like Shane Watson, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja. 
&nbsp;

He revealed the name during a promotional event

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, known for his low profile and reserved nature, does not like to reveal much about himself in public. However, the Chennai skipper revealed one of his most personal secrets in public. During a promotional event, he revealed the name of his first ever crush. Dhoni, who is enjoying his game in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), was first asked to reveal the number of alphabets in his crush's name. Later the performer, who was doing mind and mental tricks and started to guess the name of Dhoni's first crush. He asked Dhoni some questions about the name and then guessed the name- Swati. The wicketkeeper-batsman after some reluctance admitted that the name was right. The former Indian skipper also jokingly asked everybody not to reveal the same to his wife Sakshi Dhoni. He also revealed that he last saw Swati back when he was studying in the 12th standard in 1999. The event was also attended by other Chennai players like Shane Watson, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja.

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni reveals name of his crush, asks 'not to tell his wife'

Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik on Wednesday won the toss and opted to field against Mumbai.

In their previous encounter, Mumbai won the last game by 13 runs.

Mumbai were on the verge of falling by the wayside after a series of defeat before they managed to pull through in the previous two games.

"We would have bowled first as well. But we are batting now, the last time we played against these guys in Mumbai we posted a decent total. Nothing changes for us and we'll try to do the same against them tonight," Rohit said.

"I think we are playing with the same squad as it's important to back the guys. We have been playing some good cricket of late and hope to come up with a good performance again," he added.

Against Punjab, it was a Rohit and Krunal Pandya blitz that kept them alive in the play-off competition. A challenging 181/4 coupled with well-directed short balls during Kolkata's chase helped Mumbai stay afloat.&nbsp;

Kolkata, on the other hand, were not at full strength against Mumbai in their away game, with young pacer Shivam Mavi's injured finger joining the team's long list of injuries this season.&nbsp;

Talking about their strategy for today,&nbsp;Karthik&nbsp;said, "We are gonna bowl first. It's a good wicket to bat on. Will remain the same. We thought we'll make use of it second time."

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"That was a team of the past (about the record against MI). We are starting fresh and we have new set of boys. We are two good teams and we expect a good match. We have two changes, Shubman Gill is injured and Rinku Singh comes in. Tom Curran is in for Mitchell Johnson," he added.

Teams:

Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Tom Curran, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Ishan Kishan(w), Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

In their previous encounter, Mumbai won the last game by 13 runs.

Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik on Wednesday won the toss and opted to field against Mumbai. In their previous encounter, Mumbai won the last game by 13 runs. Mumbai were on the verge of falling by the wayside after a series of defeat before they managed to pull through in the previous two games. "We would have bowled first as well. But we are batting now, the last time we played against these guys in Mumbai we posted a decent total. Nothing changes for us and we'll try to do the same against them tonight," Rohit said. "I think we are playing with the same squad as it's important to back the guys. We have been playing some good cricket of late and hope to come up with a good performance again," he added. Against Punjab, it was a Rohit and Krunal Pandya blitz that kept them alive in the play-off competition. A challenging 181/4 coupled with well-directed short balls during Kolkata's chase helped Mumbai stay afloat. Kolkata, on the other hand, were not at full strength against Mumbai in their away game, with young pacer Shivam Mavi's injured finger joining the team's long list of injuries this season. Talking about their strategy for today, Karthik said, "We are gonna bowl first. It's a good wicket to bat on. Will remain the same. We thought we'll make use of it second time." × "That was a team of the past (about the record against MI). We are starting fresh and we have new set of boys. We are two good teams and we expect a good match. We have two changes, Shubman Gill is injured and Rinku Singh comes in. Tom Curran is in for Mitchell Johnson," he added. Teams: Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Tom Curran, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Ishan Kishan(w), Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

IPL 2018: Kolkata win toss, opt to field against Mumbai

Timings of Indian Premier League's playoffs and final game have changed to 7&nbsp;PM for the convenience of spectators at the games. According to some media reports, Rajeev Shukla, the chairman of the Indian Premier League, has confirmed that the playoffs will begin at 7 PM instead of 8 PM.

The fans were facing the issues of reaching home late and thanks to the slow over rates, few of the matches have gone on to end at around 12 midnight.

"The IPL is what it is because of its fans and the tournament has over the years been followed avidly both on the ground and on television at homes. So, keeping the interest of the fans in mind, it was decided that the play-off games and the final will start an hour earlier. So, instead of the 8 pm start, the games will start at 7 pm," said IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla.

The first qualifier will be played on May 22 at the Wankhede Stadium and the other qualifier (on May 25) and eliminator (on May 23) have been shifted from Pune to Kolkata.

The final game of IPL 2018 will be played on May 27 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.&nbsp;

Timings of Indian Premier League's playoffs and final game have changed to 7 PM for the convenience of spectators

Timings of Indian Premier League's playoffs and final game have changed to 7 PM for the convenience of spectators at the games. According to some media reports, Rajeev Shukla, the chairman of the Indian Premier League, has confirmed that the playoffs will begin at 7 PM instead of 8 PM. The fans were facing the issues of reaching home late and thanks to the slow over rates, few of the matches have gone on to end at around 12 midnight. "The IPL is what it is because of its fans and the tournament has over the years been followed avidly both on the ground and on television at homes. So, keeping the interest of the fans in mind, it was decided that the play-off games and the final will start an hour earlier. So, instead of the 8 pm start, the games will start at 7 pm," said IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla. The first qualifier will be played on May 22 at the Wankhede Stadium and the other qualifier (on May 25) and eliminator (on May 23) have been shifted from Pune to Kolkata. The final game of IPL 2018 will be played on May 27 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

IPL 2018: Play-off, final game timings changed for spectators' convenience

KL Rahul played a spectacular knock to lift Punjab from the early losses while chasing a target of mere 158 set by Rajasthan at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Tuesday.

Rahul smashed eleven boundaries and two sixes to reach an unbeaten 95 runs.&nbsp

But the efforts went in vain as Punjab fell 15 runs short to defeat Rajasthan and ended their innings at 143 after 20 overs.

Apart from Rahul no other player contributed.&nbsp

Run machine Chris Gayle was also sent back to the pavilion after making just one run.&nbsp

&nbspKarun Nair and Akshdeep Nath also departed after making 3 and 9 respectively.&nbsp

For Rajasthan, Krishnappa Gowtham took two wickets in three overs bowled and gave just 13 runs to lift his team to victory.

Earlier, Punjab's Andrew Tye 4 wickets for 34 runs came with a clinical bowling show to restrict Rajasthan Royals to 158 in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Bottom-placed Rajasthan struggled to cross the 100-run mark but thanks to a blistering 58-ball 82 by opener Jos Buttler that propelled the hosts to a moderate total.

Opting to bat, Rajasthan were off to a quick start, accumulating 35 runs in the first three overs.

Tye drew the first blood for Punjab as his knuckle-ball played the trick to dismiss opener Ajinkya Rahane for nine in the fourth over.

Buttler however, continued to fully utilise the powerplay to take his side past the 50-run mark in five overs.

In-form Sanju Samson made 22 runs before he joined Butler to forge a 53-run partnership for the third wicket.

Samson departed in the 15th over off a Mujeeb ur Rahman delivery with the Rajasthan scorecard reading 117.

Of the last four wickets, Tye was involved in dismissing three of the Rajasthan batters.

Other than Tye, Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb bagged a couple of wickets conceding 21 runs in four overs while Stoinis chipped in with one wicket. 
&nbsp

Rahul smashed eleven boundaries and two sixes to reach an unbeaten 95 runs.

KL Rahul played a spectacular knock to lift Punjab from the early losses while chasing a target of mere 158 set by Rajasthan at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Tuesday. Rahul smashed eleven boundaries and two sixes to reach an unbeaten 95 runs. But the efforts went in vain as Punjab fell 15 runs short to defeat Rajasthan and ended their innings at 143 after 20 overs. Apart from Rahul no other player contributed. Run machine Chris Gayle was also sent back to the pavilion after making just one run. &nbspKarun Nair and Akshdeep Nath also departed after making 3 and 9 respectively. For Rajasthan, Krishnappa Gowtham took two wickets in three overs bowled and gave just 13 runs to lift his team to victory. Earlier, Punjab's Andrew Tye 4 wickets for 34 runs came with a clinical bowling show to restrict Rajasthan Royals to 158 in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Bottom-placed Rajasthan struggled to cross the 100-run mark but thanks to a blistering 58-ball 82 by opener Jos Buttler that propelled the hosts to a moderate total. Opting to bat, Rajasthan were off to a quick start, accumulating 35 runs in the first three overs. Tye drew the first blood for Punjab as his knuckle-ball played the trick to dismiss opener Ajinkya Rahane for nine in the fourth over. Buttler however, continued to fully utilise the powerplay to take his side past the 50-run mark in five overs. In-form Sanju Samson made 22 runs before he joined Butler to forge a 53-run partnership for the third wicket. Samson departed in the 15th over off a Mujeeb ur Rahman delivery with the Rajasthan scorecard reading 117. Of the last four wickets, Tye was involved in dismissing three of the Rajasthan batters. Other than Tye, Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb bagged a couple of wickets conceding 21 runs in four overs while Stoinis chipped in with one wicket.

IPL 2018: KL Rahul's 95* goes in vain as Rajasthan beat Punjab by 15 runs

South African batting great and Royal Challengers player AB de Villiers praised India and&nbspBangalore skipper Virat Kohli. The cricket&nbsplegend called him a "great guy and a great captain".

When asked about his equation with Kohli, De Villiers replied: "Fantastic. He's (Virat) a great guy and I love playing with him. He's become a great captain and an even better friend. So it's been great. He's always been an inspirational character and we have a few leaders in the team that carry the guys in the tough time. We just want to look ahead and try to get better."&nbsp

"No I am batting very well. I am very very happy. Rashid got me out previously. We haven't played a lot against each other but he bowled well and he's a very good bowler. I have a lot of respect for him," added De Villiers.

He admitted that Bangalore, who are on the sixth spot, haven't played well and need to focus on the next games.

"No we haven't played well. It's been very disappointing but four games are left and I would love to not live in the past much and focus on what's coming that is Delhi (against Delhi Daredevils), so we need to win that game and hopefully have a bit of our run by the end of the season," De Villiers signed off.&nbsp

De Villiers praised Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli and termed him a great guy and a great captain

South African batting great and Royal Challengers player AB de Villiers praised India and&nbspBangalore skipper Virat Kohli. The cricket&nbsplegend called him a "great guy and a great captain". When asked about his equation with Kohli, De Villiers replied: "Fantastic. He's (Virat) a great guy and I love playing with him. He's become a great captain and an even better friend. So it's been great. He's always been an inspirational character and we have a few leaders in the team that carry the guys in the tough time. We just want to look ahead and try to get better." "No I am batting very well. I am very very happy. Rashid got me out previously. We haven't played a lot against each other but he bowled well and he's a very good bowler. I have a lot of respect for him," added De Villiers. He admitted that Bangalore, who are on the sixth spot, haven't played well and need to focus on the next games. "No we haven't played well. It's been very disappointing but four games are left and I would love to not live in the past much and focus on what's coming that is Delhi (against Delhi Daredevils), so we need to win that game and hopefully have a bit of our run by the end of the season," De Villiers signed off.

Bangalore haven't played well, need to focus on next games: De Villiers

Punjab's Andrew Tye four wickets for 34 runs came with a clinical bowling show to restrict Rajasthan Royals to 158 in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Tuesday.

Bottom-placed Rajasthan struggled to cross the 100-run mark but thanks to a blistering 58-ball 82 by opener Jos Buttler that propelled the hosts to a moderate total.

Opting to bat, Rajasthan were off to a quick start, accumulating 35 runs in the first three overs.

Tye drew the first blood for Punjab as his knuckle-ball played the trick to dismiss opener Ajinkya Rahane for nine in the fourth over.

Buttler however, continued to fully utilise the powerplay to take his side past the 50-run mark in five overs.

In-form Sanju Samson made 22 runs before he joined Butler to forge a 53-run partnership for the third wicket.

Samson departed in the 15th over off a Mujeeb ur Rahman delivery with the Rajasthan scorecard reading 117.

Of the last four wickets, Tye was involved in dismissing three of the Rajasthan batters.

Other than Tye, Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb bagged a couple of wickets conceding 21 runs in four overs while Stoinis chipped in with one wicket.

Opting to bat, Rajasthan were off to a quick start, accumulating 35 runs in the first three overs.

Punjab's Andrew Tye four wickets for 34 runs came with a clinical bowling show to restrict Rajasthan Royals to 158 in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Tuesday. Bottom-placed Rajasthan struggled to cross the 100-run mark but thanks to a blistering 58-ball 82 by opener Jos Buttler that propelled the hosts to a moderate total. Opting to bat, Rajasthan were off to a quick start, accumulating 35 runs in the first three overs. Tye drew the first blood for Punjab as his knuckle-ball played the trick to dismiss opener Ajinkya Rahane for nine in the fourth over. Buttler however, continued to fully utilise the powerplay to take his side past the 50-run mark in five overs. In-form Sanju Samson made 22 runs before he joined Butler to forge a 53-run partnership for the third wicket. Samson departed in the 15th over off a Mujeeb ur Rahman delivery with the Rajasthan scorecard reading 117. Of the last four wickets, Tye was involved in dismissing three of the Rajasthan batters. Other than Tye, Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb bagged a couple of wickets conceding 21 runs in four overs while Stoinis chipped in with one wicket.

IPL 2018: Andrew Tye's four-wicket haul restricts Rajasthan to 158

Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bat at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Tuesday against Punjab.

After winning the toss, Ajinkya praised his bowling side and said that it will be interesting to put runs on the board and then defend it.

He mentioned about the changes he has made for the game as there are three major replacements, Mahipal Lomror, Stuart Binny and Ish Sodhi have been included in the playing XI.

Punjab's skipper highlighted the wicket condition and said that there won't be a lot of bounce on the pitch and also the chase is not going to be easy.&nbsp

There are two changes for Punjab team, Akshdeep Nath and Mohit Sharma have included in the place of Mayank Agarwal and Ankit Rajpoot.

Playing XI:

Rajasthan: Jos Buttler(w), Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Mahipal Lomror, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi, Anureet Singh

Punjab: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Akshdeep Nath, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis, Manoj Tiwary, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bat at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bat at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Tuesday against Punjab. After winning the toss, Ajinkya praised his bowling side and said that it will be interesting to put runs on the board and then defend it. He mentioned about the changes he has made for the game as there are three major replacements, Mahipal Lomror, Stuart Binny and Ish Sodhi have been included in the playing XI. Punjab's skipper highlighted the wicket condition and said that there won't be a lot of bounce on the pitch and also the chase is not going to be easy. There are two changes for Punjab team, Akshdeep Nath and Mohit Sharma have included in the place of Mayank Agarwal and Ankit Rajpoot. Playing XI: Rajasthan: Jos Buttler(w), Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Mahipal Lomror, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi, Anureet Singh Punjab: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Akshdeep Nath, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis, Manoj Tiwary, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

IPL 2018: Ajinkya Rahane opts to bat against Punjab

Mahendra Singh Dhoni edged past Chris Gayle to lead the list for most sixes in the ongoing Indian Premier League this season.

The Chennai skipper, who has been in breathtaking form this year, has blasted 27 sixes from ten innings.&nbsp;

While Punjab's Chris Gayle acquires the second spot with 25 sixes.&nbsp;

Bangalore's AB de Villiers and Kolkata's Andre Russell have hit 23 sixes each.

Dhoni has not been in great T20 form in recent years. However, the 36-year-old has batted like a man possessed in IPL 2018.

He walked in to bat in the 12th over when Chennai were seemingly in a spot of bother against Kolkata.&nbsp;

As Chennai had lost all their set batsman including Ambati Rayadu, Dhoni took things in his own hands and smashed four sixes including two off Mitchell Johnson in his third over and remained not out on a 25-ball 43.

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Orange Cap holder Ambati Rayudu and Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer acquire the fifth and sixth position respectively with the two hitting 22 and 21 sixes respectively.&nbsp;

Last season, Glenn Maxwell and David Warner hit 26 sixes and topped the charts.&nbsp;

This time, apart from Dhoni and Gayle, five other batsmen have touched the 20 sixes-mark halfway through the tournament.

Punjab's Chris Gayle acquires the second spot with 25 sixes.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni edged past Chris Gayle to lead the list for most sixes in the ongoing Indian Premier League this season. The Chennai skipper, who has been in breathtaking form this year, has blasted 27 sixes from ten innings. While Punjab's Chris Gayle acquires the second spot with 25 sixes. Bangalore's AB de Villiers and Kolkata's Andre Russell have hit 23 sixes each. Dhoni has not been in great T20 form in recent years. However, the 36-year-old has batted like a man possessed in IPL 2018. He walked in to bat in the 12th over when Chennai were seemingly in a spot of bother against Kolkata. As Chennai had lost all their set batsman including Ambati Rayadu, Dhoni took things in his own hands and smashed four sixes including two off Mitchell Johnson in his third over and remained not out on a 25-ball 43. × Orange Cap holder Ambati Rayudu and Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer acquire the fifth and sixth position respectively with the two hitting 22 and 21 sixes respectively. Last season, Glenn Maxwell and David Warner hit 26 sixes and topped the charts. This time, apart from Dhoni and Gayle, five other batsmen have touched the 20 sixes-mark halfway through the tournament.

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni surpass Chris Gayle to hit most sixes in ongoing Season 11

Bottom-placed Rajasthan take on Punjab at their home ground Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Tuesday.

On Sunday, May 6, both the team met and Rahane-led Rajasthan faced a tragic defeat by 6 wickets.

The skippers, Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane are not much experienced but both of them have a different set of ideas when it comes to leadership.

One hand, under the guidance of Ravichandran Ashwin team Punjab has become one of the top contenders for IPL 2018 trophy and Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan have failed in all the departments.

Team Punjab is just one win away from the solidifying their place in the play-offs and if Rajasthan team manages to win tonight's clash than it will spark a fight for survival in the ongoing tournament.

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Punjab is riding high on confidence with openers Chris Gayle and KL Rahul and the team will be able to dominate the struggling side Rajasthan, unless, Ajinkya Rahane plans and replicate something extraordinary against Punjab.

For Rajasthan, any combination has not worked out well, the team has struggled in all the departments. D'Arcy Short has not been able to perform and Ajinkya might replace him with Heinrich Klassen. Although, any change at this moment is very risky. On the other hand, Punjab's playing XI is massive currently.

Playing XI (TBC):

Rajasthan: Jos Buttler, Ajinkya Rahane, D'Arcy Short, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, K Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat

Punjab: Chris Gayle, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Marcus Stoinis, Manoj Tiwary, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Andrew Tye, Ankit Rajpoot

Punjab defeated Rajasthan by six wickets in their previous encounter which was on Sunday, May 6

Bottom-placed Rajasthan take on Punjab at their home ground Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Tuesday. On Sunday, May 6, both the team met and Rahane-led Rajasthan faced a tragic defeat by 6 wickets. The skippers, Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane are not much experienced but both of them have a different set of ideas when it comes to leadership. One hand, under the guidance of Ravichandran Ashwin team Punjab has become one of the top contenders for IPL 2018 trophy and Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan have failed in all the departments. Team Punjab is just one win away from the solidifying their place in the play-offs and if Rajasthan team manages to win tonight's clash than it will spark a fight for survival in the ongoing tournament. × Punjab is riding high on confidence with openers Chris Gayle and KL Rahul and the team will be able to dominate the struggling side Rajasthan, unless, Ajinkya Rahane plans and replicate something extraordinary against Punjab. For Rajasthan, any combination has not worked out well, the team has struggled in all the departments. D'Arcy Short has not been able to perform and Ajinkya might replace him with Heinrich Klassen. Although, any change at this moment is very risky. On the other hand, Punjab's playing XI is massive currently. Playing XI (TBC): Rajasthan: Jos Buttler, Ajinkya Rahane, D'Arcy Short, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, K Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat Punjab: Chris Gayle, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Marcus Stoinis, Manoj Tiwary, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Andrew Tye, Ankit Rajpoot

IPL 2018: Match preview - Bottom-placed Rajasthan host confident Punjab

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